Field Guide to Ferns of New England and Adjacent New York PDF - This open file PDF key has a unique system similar to Newcomb's Wildflower Key. You will need to read the directions. It is a fairly large down load, over 19Mb, but is fairly comprehensive. Some of the nomenclature is slightly outdated.
Key to Common Maine Ferns - A new key to the common and occasional ferns of Maine by a couple of Maine Master Naturalists. Text only - no photos or illustrations. Revised March 2024.
Checklist of Northeast Ferns - Checklist with common names and distribution.
Northeast Ferns: A Field Guide to the Ferns and Fern Relatives of the Northeastern United States 2nd edition by Steve W. Chadde (2023) - This is the best bet for New England (there is also a Midwest edition). Keys are adequate and the species descriptions are thorough. The second edition added color photographs and has updated (most) nomenclature. This guide is distributed as part of the Maine Master Naturalist Program course. Highly recommended.
Ferns & Allies of the North Woods by Joe Walewski (2016) - While written for the other North Woods, this book is applicable to New England. No keys but the species descriptions, photographs, nature notes, and other sections make this a valuable resource. Recommended.
Ferns, Spikemosses, Clubmosses, and Quillworts of Eastern North America by Emily B. Sessa (2024) - This excellent work covers all the lower vascular plants for the entire east coast and therefore includes a lot more species than the titles above. Scientific nomenclature is mostly up to date. Keys are mostly tried and true - nothing new. Range maps and a nice color coded range indicator round out this guide. For the East Coast, this is superior to the Flora of North America and more up to date than GoBotany. If you intend to travel south or west of Pennsylvannia, this is the one to own.
Fern Finder: A Guide to Native Ferns of Central and Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada by Barbara Hallowell (2001) - This guide covers a large area of eastern North America. Many ferns in this guide do not occur in Maine and New England or are quite rare. It's hard to beat the price tag and it's large number of species. I find it challenging to use. The lack of species descriptions is a signficant issue for me. I find it tough to recommend this key.
Identifying Ferns the Easy Way: A Pocket Guide to Common Ferns of the Northeast by Lynn Levine (2019) - This inexpensive guide has workable keys, highly functional illustrations, but sparse species descriptions. It is missing several relatively common New England species and does not include any of the rare species. Anyone frequently looking at ferns in New England will outgrow this quickly.
Peterson Field Guide to Ferns: Northeastern and Central North America, 2nd Edition by Boughton Cobb, Cheryl Lowe, Elizabeth Farnsworth (2005) - This was the go to guide for years. It is out of date taxonomically and lacks some species. The keys are adequate. I find the species descriptions, illustrations and photos very helpful. It is out of print, but here's hoping for a 3rd edition.
Michigan Ferns and Lycophytes by David Palmer (2018) - Another guide that is mostly applicable to New England.
GoBotany Fern Key at Native Plant Trust website - This is a nice random access key specific to New England based on Arthur Haines' Flora Novae Angliae. Species descriptions are comprehensive and there are usually numerous photos. The 'Sometimes Confused With' section for each species is superb.
University of Wisconsin Green-Bay Key to the Ferns - An alternative technical key with species descriptions and photos. Nearly all of the fern species also occur in New England.
Minnesota Wildflowers - Ferns and Fern Allies - Clickable photos with additional species detail and photos of ferns, horsetails, and clubmosses. Nearly every species also occurs in the Northeast.
Flora of North America - The online flora of North America. An excellent, comprehensive flora with detailed species descriptions, range maps, and technical illustrations. Common name searches often net poor results as do very recent synonyms. You may need to click on the top green banner to get the search box.
Ontario Ferns - Nice site with lots of fern information.
American Fern Society - Organization that promotes interest in the cultivation, conservation, and study of ferns. Website has resource links, spore exchanges, publications, and much more.
British Pteridological Society - The organization on the other side of the pond that promotes all aspects of pteridology (ferns & allies) by encouraging the appreciation, conservation, cultivation and scientific study of ferns, horsetails, clubmosses and quillworts through publications, meetings, the provision of grants and other appropriate means.
Hardy Fern Foundation Glossary - A fern glossary that is a bit more compreshensive than the one below.
University of Wisconsin Green-Bay Pteridophyte Glossary - A simple glossary with links to explanatory photos.
Flora of Australia Glossary - Ferns, Gymnosperms and Allied Groups - A comphrehensive glossary of technical terms related to ferns.
Pteridophyte Collections Consortium - Fossil and herbarium pteridophyte specimens and their associated data.
Quick Guide to Common Ferns of the Wild Gardens of Acadia - Title is self explanatory.
Common Ferns of Southwest Nova Scotia - Nice key with species all common in New England except for Spreading Wood Fern & Dwarf Chain Ferns.
Common Ferns of Vermont - Species included are also common in Maine. B&W.
Illinois Ferns - Poster from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources with basic fern info and photos.
Just for the Fern of it - A little 4 pager of ferns in the upper Midwest that are all uncommon in New England.
Native Ferns - A short article from 'The American Gardener' on cultivating native ferns.
Pocket Guide to Common Ferns for Delineating Bordering Vegetated Wetlands in Massachusetts - No keys but nice species descriptions and photos of 19 mostly very common ferns.
West Virginia Ferns - Nice little guide from the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. All species are found in New England though a few are rare.
Improvements? Errors? A key you wish to have posted or adapted for posting? Email Jeff at info@DigitalNaturalist.info.
last updated 2024-Mar-11